Dental tool



Feb. 13, 1951 J. B. HERSH 2,541,357

DENTAL TOOL Filed June 2l, 1947 Tlc'l- INVENTOR .fasi/JH B. #Eef/f.

ATTOR Patented Feb. 13, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DENTAL 'rooL Joseph B. Hersh, Flushing, N. Y. Application June 21, 1947, Serial No. 756,145

5 claims. (o1. 3.2-40)` This invention relates to method and apparatus for removing dental impression bands.

An impression band is a tubular band, usually of copper, used in present dental practice to obtain an impression of a tooth as for example for the purpose of making a cap or crown. According to present dental practice the tubular band is filled or partly lled with melted wax andthe band is then inserted over the tooth of which an impression is desired and wax is thus brought into contact with the surface of the tooth and as it hardens it takes the form of the tooth. The hardened wax adheres to the tooth so that it is diicult to remove the band and considerable force is required to do so, especially since the band must be removed without sidewise movement which would impair the impression.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for removing dental impression bands.

Another object of the invention is to provide simple, practical and ei'licient apparatus for removing dental impression bands.

Another object of the invention is t provide apparatus for removing impression bands whereby the band is aligned along a path the center line ofwhich is parallel to the axis of the tooth.

Another object of the invention is to provide means of the above described kind whereby the dentist is assured of obtaining a rm grip on an impression band and of lifting the band from the tooth without sidewise movement.

Other objects of the invention will be in part obvious or in part pointed out hereinafter.

. The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, arrangements of parts, and in the several steps and relation and order of each of said steps to one or more of the others thereof, all as will be pointed out in the following description, and the scopeof the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

The invention will best be understood if the following description is read in connection with the drawings, in which,

-- Figure 1 isa front elevational viewv partly in and whiclratv its top is provided with,l a lateral 55 against the stop or pin 32.

iiangel I2 adaptedto give purchasev to means for removing the band from a tooth. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated herein this means comprises a fork-like member I4 the bi. furcated ends of which are spaced apart sufllf ciently to embrace the body of the band I0. and to engage under the lateral ange I2, and means for supporting and moving the member I4 in a straight line. This means comprises the jaws I6 and I8. Jaw I6 intermediate its ends. is piv otallyv attached by pivot 20 to the forward end of the` S-shaped member 22. 4Similarly .the jaw- I8, intermediateits ends is pivotally attached by pivot 24 to the S-shaped member 26. The members 22 and 26 are crossed and pivotally interengaged by pivot 28. Each of the members 22 and 26 isshaped so that it is substantially U-shaped in cross section and the forward portion of eachis stamped out along its median lon-` gitudinal line. Thus the forward end of member 22 comprises the spacedarms 22a and 22b pivotally connected by pivot 20 on opposite sides of jaw 16, and similarly member 26 comprises spaced arms v26a and 2'6b pivotally connected by pivot 24 on the opposite .sides of jaw I8. Pivot 28 may ex. tend through the superimposed arms 22a and 26sl and the superimposed. arms 22D and 26b or it may consist `of a plurality of aligned pivots joining arms 22a and 2684 and 22b and 2Gb. respectively.

On the inner surface of member 22 a pin or lug 30 is provided andon the inner surface of member 26 a similar pin or lug 32 is provided. The rear end of jaw member I6 extends between the parallel arms 26Il and 26b of member 26 and its rear end is bifurcated providing a bearing surface 34 which is adapted to engage and abut And similarly the rear `end of jaw member I8 projects between the arms 26a and 2Gb of member 2B and its inner end isbifurcated providing a bearing surface 36 which is adapted to engage and abut against thestop or pin k30. Within the trough of the U-shaped member 22 behind pivot 28 a coil spring 38 is provided, one end of which is secured at 40 to o ne of said bifurcated arms of jaw member I8 and the other' end of Awhich is secured to an ear 42 which may be stamped out of `said member 22 and Ibent inwardly. Similarly inthe trough'of the `U-shaped portion of the handle member'28 a` spring 44 is provided the front end of which is attached at 46 to one of the bifurcated arms of jaw member I6 and which at its other end may be secured tothe lug 48 which may be stamped out of the member 26 and bent inwardly.

Projecting upwardly from jaw I3is a'pln ll'fand jaw I6 is provided with a bore 52 aligned with pin 50. The forward end of pin 50 projects into the bore 52 and travels therein as the members 22 and 26 are moved toward one another.

The jaw I6 is provided at its front end with a bracket 54, which as illustrated herein is U- shaped and extends around the jaw I8 with its ends secured to the respective sides of jaw IB as by screws s. The forward end of jaw I8 is provided with a concavity vor seat 56 .adapted to receive the stem I5 of fork-like member I4 which may be readily inserted in or removed therefrom.

No claim is made herein to the pincer-like structure described above apart from the bracketlike structure 54 and the fork-like member -I4 and the means for seating member I4 for movement with j aw I8. It will be understood that when the portions of members 22 and 26 behind the pivot 28, which constitutes the handles of the pincer-like device, are moved together the jaws I 6 and. I8 will be moved relatively and 'such movement will be a straight line rather than an angular movement -due to the pivotal engagement between Vmembers 22 and '26 and jaws I '6 and 'i8 respectively, and the pivotal interengagement of members '22 and 26and the guide eect obtained by the travel o'f 'pi-n v50, on jaw I8, -in the bore VJ2 Ain jaw I'G.

AIn using the ydeviee described herein in accordance with my invention the 'fork-like member I4 of a size adapted for the diameter o'f lthe dental impression band lII]v employed is inserted the cavity or seat '56 therefor. And after the forked end of member I4 has 'been-inserted around 'the `dental band II! vwhich it is desired .to remove from a ,tooth `the. impression of which .has been taken, and is firmly engaged under lateral flange 'I2 of the band, the bracket V5L! is rested on and adjacent tooth '(orvon a Vbridging member placed across other teeth in the event there is no adjacent tooth), andthe rear ends of members 22 and 26 are moved together. Because `jaw I6 'is secured to bracket 54 it remains Stationary and jaw I8 moves 'toward it without angular or lateral motion 'thus similarly moving member I4 'and ythe dental band VI() engaged by it. The extent of straight line movement thus imparted to the dental band I 'is -suflicient to lift it entirely oi the tooth of which the impression is desired, and thus a perfect rimpression .may be .obtained withoutthe inaccuracy-often resulting when the vband lis wiggled from `side to side in attempting to break the adhesion vbetween the wax and the tooth in pulling 'the band from the tooth manltages fare successfully-achieved. As various po'ssibleembodime'nts might be made of the mechanic'al features of the above imlen'tion .and as the art herein described V4might V.be varied in various marte, all 'without departing Afrom the scope of the invention, it .Tis tobe .understoodthat all mat` erahereinbefore setiorthzorshown 'in-the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim is:

1. A dental tool for use in conjunction with an impression band comprising upper and lower jaws, handles for each, the handles being pivoted together and the upper handle being pivoted to the lower jaw ahead of said pivot, and the lower handle being Apivoted tothek .upper jaw ahead of said gpivot, the upper jaw having 2a vertical bore or aperture adapted to receive a stud extending vertically up from the lower jaw thus preventing relative movement between the upper and lower jaws except toward and away from one another inea vertical plane, a U-shaped band extending around the lower jaw and secured by its ends to the opposite Esides of the upper jaw, said band providing. a base adapted to rest on a iixed surface so that when the handles are pressed toe gether the .position of tlre upper jaw is fixed and the lower jaw rises thus Alifting *the band.

2. A dental 'tool Y'for 'use in lcooperation with La dental band having engagement means 'thereon to provide a purchase for the tool comprising, upper and lower jaw members, a pair of crossed handles pivotallyv joined together intermediate their ends, the forward end of the ilower handle being vjgivotall'y joined to the upper of said jaws and 'the 'forward lend of the upper handle bei-ng pivotauy `joined t@ the lower lof ysaid jaws, lpin' and 'slot means interconnecting vthe rear yend of said upper 'jaw to the said upper handle "behind the `pivotal 'connection between Vthe handles, 'pin and slot means interconnecting 'the rear end Aril the said Vlower jaw -to said lower handle behind said pivotal connection between said vhandles', a spring member interconnected between vthe rear vend 'of said upper 'jaw 'and said upper handle adjacent its rear end, a spring member inter'- connected between the rear 'end of said lower jaw and said lower handle adjacent its 4'rear end, and a standard adapted to be rested on Ya fixed surface and connected to one of said jaws whereby when said handles 'are l'compressed the other of said -jaws will be caused to move 'in :a straight path toward `the jaw to which said standard is connected, and :means supported on said movable jaw adapted to engage Ywith said engagement means on said dental band.

3. A 'dental tool Afor use 'in cooperation with 'a V'dental band having engagement means 'thereon to provide a purchase for the tool compri-sing, upper and lower ljaw members, 'a pair of 4crossed handles -pivotally joined together intermediate their ends, the `iorward end of 'the'lower handle being `pivotally joined to the upper of said 'jaws and the 'forward end of the upper handle irbeing pivotally joined to the lower oi said "jaws, 'each of said upper and lower jaws being 'bifurvcated fat the rear end, each oi said handles *havinga pin projecting inwardly to the rear of the said pivotal connection between the handles', said pins being adapted to 'seat 'between the lbifurcations lat the rear ends of said 4jaws respec tively, a spring interconnecting the rear of the upper jaw to 'the upper handle adjacent its rear end, a spring vinterconnec'sti'ng the rear fof the lower jaw to the lower handle adjacent its rear end, fa 'standard 'attached "to one of 'said jaws and extending beyond the other lof said 'jaws without interfering with 'the movement of the' other of said jaws, and means attached to "the other of said jaws ladapted to `'extra-nd around Asaid dental kband 'under its said engagement means anelito engage undersadfengagement means 'and move the band in a straight line substantially lof the device are moved together.

4. A device as claimed in claim 2 in which one of said jaws has a stud thereon projecting toward the other of said jaws, and the other of said jaws is bored providing a guideway adapted to receive the free end of said stud therein as the jaws are moved together, said stud and bore cooperating with the pin and slot connections between the rear ends of said jaws and said handles respectively to prevent angular movement of the jaws as they are moved together when the said handles are compressed together.

5. A device as claimed in claim 2 in which one of said jaws has a stud thereon projecting toward the other of said jaws, and the other of said jaws is bored providing a guideway adapted to receive the free end of said stud therein as the jaws are moved together, said stud and bore cooperating with the pin and slot connections between the rear ends of said jaws and said handles respectively to prevent angular movement of the jaws as they are moved together when the said handles are compressed together, and means attached to the other of said jaws adapted to extend around said dental band under its said engagement means and to engage under said engagement means and move the band in a straight line substantially parallel to the axis of the band when the device is rested on said standard and the said handles of the device are moved together.

JOSEPH B. HERSH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of lrecord in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,216,514 Symmons Feb. 20, 1917` 1,812,008 Lace June 30, 1931 1,948,096 Cavanagh Feb. 20, 1934 2,428,689 Sykes Oct. 7, 1947 OTHER REFERENCES Mueller & Co Surgical Instrument Catalogue, 7th edition, Copyright 1929, page 47, item 2180.

Murray-Baumgartner Surgical Instrument Catalogue 4th edition, page 22, item 396. 

